Ziggurat a touch of Babylon in Orange County

One of Orange County's largest and most unusual buildings can be found in Laguna Niguel. Modeled in the style of a Babylonian ziggurat, the Chet Holifield Federal Building sits between Alicia Parkway and La Paz Road at the Avila Road cross street.

The distinctive seven-tiered, flat-topped pyramid, completed in 1970, continues to dominate its newer surroundings. The structure of almost 1 million square feet houses numerous federal agencies and department offices. The first floor alone covers nearly nine acres, and the parking lot was designed to accommodate 15,000 employees.

The story of this grand structure includes events beginning in 1966. Rockwell Corp. chose the land in what was then an isolated spot as a secure location for its Autonetic Division that served the enormous demands of the Vietnam conflict. However, before the building was completed, this fortress became a casualty of the war's winding down. Rockwell never moved in, and the building stood empty for four years.

In 1974, Rockwell traded the building to the federal government for two manufacturing plants in Los Angeles. After nine years of underuse, the federal government put the building up for sale. Soon it was given a new name, "White Elephant," after it failed to attract a buyer.

The government took it off the market and quietly filled the space as south Orange County was developed at a rapid pace. By 1984, the Ziggurat, as it is called, was filled to capacity and continues to be so.

No longer isolated, the building stands amid a large commercial area where hilltop houses overlook its silhouette and drivers along Alicia Parkway can easily view this remarkable structure.

– Local historians Donald and Mary Decker co-authored eight books, including the city history "Laguna Niguel: Honoring the Past, Fulfilling the Present." Contact them at dmdecker@prodigy.net.